Companies that get positive press for their great cultures are usually in cutting-edge industries like Google and Apple, or high profile companies like Southwest Airlines and Container Store. Who would think that a very large manufacturing company could build a people-centric culture when most of their employees are assembly-line workers? Finding such a company convinces me again that any company can build a positive, perform-enhancing culture.

The book that inspired me is Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for your People like Family by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia1. This book documents the journey of Barry-Wehmiller, a capital equipment and engineering consulting firm that was close to shutting down in the mid 1970’s when Bob Chapman became CEO. Within a year of his taking the reins, the company turned a profit and hasn’t looked back since. Through multiple acquisitions, it has grown to be a global player in large equipment manufacturing. Key to their success is their culture, summed up in the statement, “We measure success by the way we touch the lives of people.” Commitment to their people inspired a leadership style called Truly Human Leadership. Growth has not changed their people-centric culture. Indeed, they have created a system to replicate great culture in every company they acquire.

There are 5 lessons that I’d like to share with you from this company’s system of building and maintaining an excellent culture: